ed
aloud.

"Well, what is it?" said Harry, advancing with the broom, held like a
gun with fixed bayonet brought to the charge, and poking with the birch
part at the old gardener.

"Well, you know, you promised to be quiet, you know, didn't you?"

"Why, of course we did," said Harry and Philip together. "Now, come,
tell us what it is."

"Well," said Sam at last, "it's a wopses' nest as wants taking."

"Capital!" said Harry, throwing down the broom; "where is it?"

Old Sam's eyes twinkled with triumph as he got slowly up and led the way
to his tool-shed, where he reached down the large fumigating bellows,
and in the hollow made for the purpose he put in some hot cinders, which
Harry fetched in a shovel from the kitchen, and then on them a lump of
brimstone, and closed the nozzle over all; but not so quickly but that a
puff or two of the penetrating fumes escaped, and made the boys' eyes
water, and old Sam cough and choke most terribly for a minute or two.

"Now then," said Sam, wheezing away at a dreadful rate, "I'm not going
with you, you know, so you take the bellows, Master Harry; and I should
take some boughs, if I were you, and beat the wopses off if they gets
loose. The nest is in the plantation, in the dead willow-tree that lies
by the path; so now go on, and good luck to you."

The lads wanted no further incentive, but started off at full speed, to
come back again directly to say that the brimstone wasn't burning.
However, on giving two or three puffs with the bellows, Sam found this
was not the case, for it was alight; so off they started, half wild with
excitement, across the lawn, and old Sam rubbing his hands down the
sides of his trousers to give vent to his intense feeling of
satisfaction to think how well his device had succeeded; and then the
old man returned to his work, chuckling away, and, I am sorry to add,
muttering that he hoped they'd "some on 'em get stung;" an uncharitable
wish, however, that had no fulfilment in the sequel.

"Come along, boys," said Harry, who was bellows-bearer; and away they
scudded till they reached the wooden bridge over the ditch, and then
they stood together beneath the trees.

Puff, puff. Yes, the brimstone was all right, and now for the wasps.

"Let me do it," said Philip, catching at the bellows.

"No, no; I'll do it," said Harry, putting them behind his back.

"Now, Harry, you know I'm older than you, and you carried them here, so
you ought to give way